Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement: Hostage Returns and Aid Efforts in Gaza Amid Ongoing Challenges

Israel received the dead hostage's coffin from the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of ongoing ceasefire efforts.

Deir Al-Balah:

On Friday, Israel confirmed receipt of another hostage's remains from Gaza, according to the prime minister's office. This transfer from Hamas occurred as the militant group used bulldozers to search through rubble in the war-damaged enclave to locate additional bodies.

The Israeli military and security forces took custody of the coffin from the International Committee of the Red Cross inside Gaza territory. The remains were scheduled for transfer to Israel's National Center for Forensic Medicine for identification.

Israeli officials stated they would first notify the family of the deceased following formal identification procedures.

The handover took place after Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, described the remains as belonging to an "occupation prisoner," suggesting the deceased was Israeli rather than one of the hostages of various nationalities held in Gaza.

The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed via social media that a coffin containing a deceased hostage had been transferred to Red Cross custody and was being transported to IDF troops in Gaza. They emphasized that Hamas must fulfill the agreement and take necessary steps to return all hostages.

The return of hostage remains, stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, has been one of several contentious issues alongside aid deliveries, opening Gaza border crossings, and reconstruction efforts. The process has broad international support as a means to end two years of devastating conflict in Gaza.

Hamas has stated its commitment to the ceasefire terms, including returning bodies. This week, Hamas transferred the remains of nine hostages to Israel, plus a tenth body that Israel determined was not a hostage.

The search for bodies intensified following US President Donald Trump's warning that he would authorize Israel to resume military operations if Hamas failed to return all 28 hostages' remains as agreed.

The Israeli military and Shin Bet security service insisted that "Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages."

Hamas has claimed that some hostages' remains are trapped in tunnels or buildings destroyed during Israeli operations, necessitating heavy machinery to recover them. The group blamed Israel for delays, citing restrictions on bringing new bulldozers into Gaza.

Most heavy equipment in the territory was destroyed during the conflict that began with the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, leaving limited resources for Palestinians attempting to clear the extensive rubble across Gaza.

On Friday, two bulldozers excavated areas in Hamad City, an apartment complex in Khan Younis, as Hamas searched for hostage remains. Israeli forces had repeatedly bombed the towers during the war, collapsing some structures, and conducted a weeklong military operation there in March 2024.

While focus remains on hostage remains recovery, Hamas has urged mediators to increase aid flow into Gaza, expedite opening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and begin reconstruction efforts.

Hamas also called for the immediate establishment of a committee of Palestinian independents to govern Gaza and demanded continued Israeli troop withdrawals from agreed-upon areas.

The IDF later confirmed that the deceased hostage's coffin had crossed into Israel under military escort and was en route to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures.

The ceasefire plan introduced by Trump required all hostages—living and dead—to be returned by a deadline that expired Monday. However, the agreement stipulated that if complete return wasn't possible, Hamas would share information about deceased hostages and attempt to return them as soon as feasible.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel "will not compromise" and demanded Hamas fulfill its obligations regarding the return of hostages' remains.

Hamas has assured the US through intermediaries that it's working to return deceased hostages, noting that recovery efforts are hampered by widespread destruction and unexploded ordnance. The group also informed mediators that some remains are in areas under Israeli military control.

Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday. In exchange, Israel freed approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

In Israel, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum announced continued weekly rallies until all remains are returned.

Israel has returned 90 Palestinian bodies to Gaza for burial, with more expected to follow, though officials haven't specified how many remain in Israeli custody or will be returned.

A Palestinian forensics team examining the returned remains reported signs of mistreatment on some bodies.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza has resulted in nearly 68,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The Red Cross reports thousands more people remain missing.

France announced it is collaborating with Britain and the US to propose a UN resolution for an international force in Gaza. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux indicated that Arab nations are seeking a UN mandate for such a force.

Arab countries are expected to contribute troops to this force, which would oversee Egyptian-trained Palestinian police.

New details emerged Friday about the Trump administration's reaction to an Israeli strike last month targeting Hamas' political leadership headquarters in Qatar. The attack occurred as Hamas officials were considering a US ceasefire proposal.

In excerpts from a CBS 60 Minutes interview, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Jared Kushner felt "a little bit betrayed" by Israel's action.

Kushner suggested President Trump believed "the Israelis were getting a little bit out of control" and needed to be firmly stopped from actions contrary to their long-term interests.

Weeks later, while hosting Netanyahu at the White House, Trump announced the initial framework for the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, aid flow into Gaza remains limited due to crossing closures and restrictions on humanitarian organizations.

UN data showed 339 aid trucks were offloaded for distribution in Gaza since the ceasefire began a week ago. The agreement stipulated allowing 600 humanitarian aid trucks daily.

COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing Gaza aid, reported 950 trucks—including commercial and bilateral deliveries—crossing on Thursday and 716 on Wednesday, according to UN figures.

UN humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher visited a World Food Program bakery in Deir al-Balah on Friday, noting that UN teams were implementing a 60-day plan to substantially increase aid. He warned of "immense" challenges ahead and called for opening additional crossings.

Since last Saturday, the World Food Program has dispatched over 280 trucks carrying approximately 3,000 metric tons of supplies into Gaza to support bakeries, nutrition programs, and general food distribution.

Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza's private truckers' union, which coordinates aid pickup after Israeli inspection, reported improved security preventing looting and interception of aid convoys, though no significant increase in supplies has occurred since the ceasefire. He stated only 70 trucks entered Gaza on Thursday.

Gaza's more than 2 million residents hope the ceasefire will alleviate the humanitarian disaster caused by Israel's military campaign. Throughout the conflict, Israel restricted aid entry to Gaza, occasionally halting it entirely.

Famine was declared in Gaza City, with the UN verifying over 400 malnutrition-related deaths, including more than 100 children.

Israel maintains it allowed sufficient food into Gaza, claiming Hamas diverted much of it—an accusation denied by the UN and other aid organizations.